Chapter 14
Fourteen
They spent the next few hours naked, on top of each other, relishing in the pleasurable bubble they had created. Jasyn couldn’t get enough of her taste or her touch. His Sundrop was awakening a feral instinct in him that he had kept locked up his whole life.
He had just devoured her wet cunt again when she jumped to her feet and asked to go outside.
“It’s getting late.”
Jasyn chuckled as he too got to his feet, legs wobbly from their extensive activities. “The sun is just starting to set.”
“And we’ve been in here since before midday.”
He pulled her in, wrapping his arms around her waist. As if on instinct, her arms went around his neck.
“It’s not my fault I can’t get enough of you,” he said into her neck, licking and sucking a pulse point he learned would have her writhing.
Her hand came between them as he continued his ministrations, wrapping around his hardening cock. He hissed as she slid her hand up and down the shaft, tightening around his head, just how he liked it. In response, his hand massaged her breast, squeezing the nipple.
“You’re cruel,” she said breathily.
“You’re majestic.” The late sun glowed behind her, and the orangey haze made her look like she was on fire.
“We should take this outside,” she repeated, and he knew then he would never be able to deny her anything. He would spend the rest of their lives together serving her. If they had that time together, he supposed.
“Anything for you.” He knew just the place.
He tugged on her hand, but she yanked backward. She was smiling, and it was so breathtaking, it hurt. “What of our clothes?”
“Mych won’t mind.”
“Your parents?”
He shrugged, unable to care if they got caught.
“The other guards?” This time, the words came with her crossing her arms under her breast to cover that burned mark.
He wanted to pry further. There was something she was hiding from him, but he figured he had the rest of their marriage to ask her about everything—that was, if he survived the Undertaking.
He wanted to know her inside and out, but he promised himself he would fight the hardest to ensure they would have that time.
Maybe, even if he lost the Undertaking, she would be willing to follow him, even without a title.
Climbing up to the dais, he grabbed her discarded dress. He bent down, and she stepped into it. As he rolled it up, he pressed kisses to her body, and she shivered under his lips.
He got distracted from dressing her—her mouth was right in front of him, and he was weak, couldn’t hold back. Their tongues danced with each other, against the rhythm of their beating hearts.
“Let’s go.” Her eyes were soft, and he wanted that image stamped in his memory forever.
He got into his pants and led her to the door. He squared his shoulders, and, right as the door opened, Mych stood leisurely in the hall, smirking at them both.
“I hope you both had fun. I had to keep Bron away, and that man is difficult to convince to do anything.” Mych shrugged, clearly pleased with himself. “Good thing I like a challenge.”
Jasyn rolled his eyes, but his face was on fire, which caused Mych to smile wider.
“We’re going to the Butterfly Garden.”
“That’s quite romantic.” Mych winked.
Jasyn bumped his guard’s shoulder as he passed him. “No need to keep guard. I don’t think you’d want to either.”
Esi lightly slapped Jasyn’s back. “Heathen.”
“I’ve already heard it all,” Mych yelled after them, but Jasyn didn’t care. He already had his arm around Esi’s shoulders.
Esi gasped at the glass dome in front of her. Like most of the castle, the structure was covered in vines and greenery, with speckles of color coming from flowers.
Jasyn chuckled as he pushed aside the vines and opened the door to allow them both inside.
Esi stilled as she entered. Her mouth was slightly agape, and watching her take in all the sights of the castle had been one of his favorite experiences.
This had been his every day since birth, but for her, it was new.
The wonder and awe she exuded was contagious.
It reminded him of how special the castle was and what an honor it was to live here.
She outstretched her hand, and a butterfly fluttered on her finger. He could have sworn a tear dripped down her cheek.
“I usually hate such small, constricting spaces, but I feel so safe with you,” she said. He took in that piece of information and held on to it tightly.
To bring her out of her head, he said. “It used to be just another gazebo where we would all sit and watch the town, but then we begged my parents to turn it into a butterfly sanctuary.”
“We?” she asked then flicked his cheek gently. “Or you?”
Even though the structure covered them in shadows, he had no doubt she could see the small stain tinge of color blossoming on his cheeks and ears.
“You know me too well.” He grimaced jokingly. “I know so little about you.”
Esi snapped her attention to his eyes. “What do you mean?”
“You’re keeping secrets—which I don’t blame you for, since we’ve only known each other for a few weeks and are not married yet. But I want to know you.”
Esi dipped her head, but he caught her chin with his finger and lifted it. The desire to pry again about that burn mark was strong, but he pushed it back.
“What do you like to do?”
She shook her head. “No one has asked me that before.”
Strange, the way she talked about her life. From his point of view, it sounded like she never left her manor, never spoke with anyone. What type of life was that? He would need to speak to her parents and reprimand them for treating their daughter like property kept in a dusty closet.
“So I’m asking you,” he said instead, keeping his thoughts to himself.
She shrugged, backing away from his touch, as if embarrassed. “I’m not sure. I like spending time with you. I like your passion for your court, your desire to be a good ruler.”
“Although I appreciate the compliments, I want to know about you.”
She tapped her chin, thinking hard. “I like dancing.”
“Why?” he prodded.
It was quiet as she thought again. “Because it’s a beautiful feeling to create art with my own body.”
In that moment, he wanted nothing more than to call upon an orchestra—perhaps that new up-and-coming one, led by a man named Izyk in the Lightning Court. For now, his hums would have to do.
When the melody came to him, Esi spun around. “What are you—”
But she didn’t have a chance to complete the question, because he brought her in close and started swaying to his tune.
At first, she was awkward in his arms, but as he guided her, she loosened up.
Then, she started leading him. He spun her out and back in his arms, pressing kisses to her lips and cheeks any chance he could.
It was a blissful peace inside the dome, one he never wanted to leave.
“It’s getting late,” she whispered in the quiet.
“You’re always trying to run from me.”
“It’s for your own good.”
As he let her go, she was already on her way out. He followed her, and the sight in front of him had the blood rushing from his face.
Iskra stumbled over her own feet. Esi and Bron were stopped in their tracks, both of their mouths wide open. Iskra’s heart stopped at the sight.
“What is going on?”
Jasyn’s words were a muffled blur in her ears. She could barely keep herself together, and the thought of turning around and seeing Jasyn’s reaction would make her faint.
“Kryth said you were back already,” Esi said, but no explanations would get them out of this mess.
Bron patted Esi’s lower back. “You should go. Iskra and I can handle this.”
He wanted to protect Esi—which Iskra understood—but it didn’t hurt any less that Iskra needed to be in the crossfire.
Esi made one step, but Jasyn shook his head. “She stays. You all tell me what’s happening, what the minister has to do with all this.”
Iskra finally faced the man she had fallen in love with, and the coldness on his face seized something in her chest.
“Jasyn…” Iskra said.
“Tell. Me.”
The anger in his tone had her stepping back a bit as she composed herself. Esi seemed to want to take charge as she stepped to Iskra’s side. Bron muttered under his breath for Esi to stay put, but clearly, she wasn’t going to listen to him.
Jasyn’s eyes bounced between the two of them, and the last few weeks must have flashed before his eyes.
Esi cleared her throat. “When I arrived, I stumbled upon Iskra and Kryth, though he didn’t appear as the minister to us then. I saw an opportunity for one last sliver of freedom before our marriage. I asked her to take my place—”
“During the day,” Jasyn completed the statement for her.
Esi nodded. “While I was out with Dominik.”
Iskra didn’t think Jasyn could look sicker, but that sentence alone proved her wrong.
“Then who are you?” Jasyn asked Iskra directly, his green eyes gazing deeply into her soul, seeking answers she wouldn’t give.
“No one. I’m a fraud.”
She peered behind her, where the sun would be gone for the night soon. She needed to go. Jasyn followed her line of sight, and his eyes narrowed.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, taking him in. This, without a doubt, would be the last time she saw him before he had a blade to her chest to kill her. He didn’t need to know that, though.
“Take care of him,” were Iskra’s parting words to Esi before she ran off through the copse of plants, tears burning her eyes.